Taxpayers take NORCOR to court, accused the jail of violating Oregon sanctuary state law

by Genevieve Reaume and KATU.com Staff

NORCOR facility in The Dalles - KATU image

THE DALLES, Ore. – Four Wasco County taxpayers are accusing the Northern Oregon Regional Correctional Facility (NORCOR) near The Dalles and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) of violating the Oregon sanctuary state law.

According to court documents, in 2014, NORCOR started an agreement with U.S. Marshalls to put “federal detainees” who “are awaiting a hearing on their immigration status or deportation” in the NORCOR jail. That agreement later expanded to include ICE.

Taxpayers in Wasco County think this is a violation of the state’s sanctuary laws and they don’t think their tax dollars should be funding the jail “in a manner that violates Oregon law.”

In other words, they want ICE out of NORCOR.

There have been several protests outside the jail over this. Inside the jail, inmate immigrants are fighting back as well. They’ve already organized two hunger strikes to protest the agreement and jail conditions.

The taxpayers are taking NORCOR to court Thursday. The hearing will be at the Wasco County Circuit Court at 1:30 p.m.